• WISH LIST:

• Monetary Gifts
• Dining Room Tables and Chairs
• Clothing
• Food
• Shoes
• Vitamins
• Garden Tools
• Vegetable Seeds
• Cooking Utensils
• Bed Linens
• Towels
• Tooth Paste
• Soap

***UPDATE-JANUARY 2010

I have received word that the Colibri project was closed. Mr. Jordan has placed some of the boys in another location. I am waiting for news from my contact there and will update this page as soon as I receive information.

Sharon

 

 

On my last trip to Peru, Rosario a member of Cusco Coraje took me to visit a project called Colibri, in Lucre a village about 30 miles outside of Cusco. A police escort led us to a 19th century hacienda on five acres of land initially used as a police training ground now home to approximately 18 homeless boys which can change daily due to lack of food.

 

 

A police officer, Alcides Jordan, arrested some boys for stealing nine years ago and in finding a solution to this growing problem, he created Colibri, a shelter for homeless children. Sometimes there is only enough money to provide one meal per day. Here the boys receive schooling and recreational activities. It is estimated there are 250-300 boys who have been abandoned sleeping in the islands of two-way streets.

 

Mr. Alcides spends his free time raising funds from businesses and fellow officers. The goal of Colibri is to provide shelter, food, clothing, schooling and training to become self sufficient and able to provide for themselves since most have no knowledge of relatives or the date they were born.

 

Likewise, they shared the chewing gum passed around. When we were ready to leave, one boy asked if he could say something. He asked each of us to help them in any way we could and thanked us for coming. Each boy hugged and kissed me good-bye. It was one of those moments in my life that I wanted to hold on to for a long time.

 

There was so much more I wanted to know but I was so thankful for the short time and opportunity to meet such wonderful boys with so much potential to give back to a world that had not been so good to them.

 

One request I had while visiting Peru this time was for Pepe and Leo to take me to see some hummingbirds I had heard were native to Peru. Although I did not see them, I was amazed to find out that Colibri means hummingbird!

 

If you would like to make a donation to the street children of Cusco in honor or memory of someone, please contact me.

Visit the Colibri project at:
Makispa

The Christmas Box House International
Cusco, Peru, South America

 

 

On the day I visited, the immediate need was funds to buy cooking oil. My donation was in memory of a young boy I’d known all his life who had committed suicide just before my trip there. My thoughts were of how he could have helped these boys and how they could have helped him also.

 

As usual, I carried along bottles of bubbles and shared them with the boys. Some looked as though they had never seen such a delight. My friends, Jose and Pam noticed too how kind they were to one another blowing into the circle filled with liquid and immediately passing it on to the next one eager to share the experience.